Crete Island Guide
Chania airport, officially Ioannis Daskalogiannis Airport, is the gateway to Chania old town, Balos, Elafonisi and the whole western half of Crete. This page covers what chq-airport.gr itself confirms: the operator, the terminal's daily hours, and the KTEL bus fare into town, which is one of the few transport figures on this entire island with a genuinely published number. See getting to Crete for how it compares with flying into Heraklion instead, and Crete Island Guide for the rest of the island beyond the arrivals hall.
Quick answer The short version on Chania airport
Chania airport is run by Fraport Greece, one of 14 Greek airports under its concession, and its terminal operates every day, 00:00-23:59, per the operator's own site. The KTEL Chania-Rethymno bus into town costs $3.03 (€2.70) one way, with about 29 departures a day, running near-continuously from 07:30 to 23:00. This is one of the most reliably published transport figures on the whole island, unlike Heraklion's airport route, where the exact bus line is not stated by name.
Key takeaways
- The airport shuttle is $3.03 (€2.70), confirmed directly on e-ktel.com's own fare table, with near-continuous service.
- Heading to Chania old town or on to Balos are the two most common first moves; the Balos coach and boat day departs from the Chania area.
- If Elafonisi is the first stop, the Elafonisi beach day trip runs directly from Chania.
- Confirm your first night's base before flying in; see where to stay.
Photo: Marius Vassnes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Who Runs Chania Airport
Chania's airport operator is confirmed directly, in contrast with the ambiguity around Heraklion's.
Fraport Greece
chq-airport.gr states plainly that Fraport Greece operates the airport, one of 14 Greek airports in its concession, a group that also includes Santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos, Kos and Corfu among others.
Terminal Hours
The terminal operates every day of the year, 00:00-23:59, per the operator's own published hours. This is a confirmed, dated fact directly from chq-airport.gr, not a secondary source.
Named for Ioannis Daskalogiannis
The airport's official name honours Ioannis Daskalogiannis, the 18th-century Sfakian leader who organised one of Crete's earliest revolts against Ottoman rule, a historical thread that runs through Loutro and the Sfakia region on the south coast.
chq-airport.gr.
The KTEL Shuttle: a Genuinely Published Fare
Unlike most of this guide's transport figures, the Chania airport bus is a case where the official fare table actually states a number.
Fare and Frequency
KTEL Chania-Rethymno runs the Chania to Chania Airport route at $3.03 (€2.70) one way, with about 29 departures a day, near-continuous from 07:30 to 23:00. This is read directly from e-ktel.com's live booking tool, the same source confirmed for the rest of the west-network fares on getting around.
What This Fare Does Not Cover
This is the Chania town-to-airport leg only. Onward travel to Rethymno, Elafonisi or Hora Sfakion is a separate fare and a separate departure, detailed on getting around.
e-ktel.com.
What Most Visitors Do First From Chania
Chania airport sits closest to the old town, Balos and the north-west beaches, which shapes most first-day plans.
Chania Old Town
The Venetian harbour, lighthouse and old town lanes are the default first stop, built on the ruins of Minoan Kydonia. Full detail on chania.
Balos and Elafonisi, the Two Big Beach Days
Both Balos (reached by boat from Kissamos or a rough dirt road) and Elafonisi (a lagoon and islet protected as a Natura 2000 site) depart from the Chania area. The Balos coach and boat day and the Elafonisi beach day trip both solve the transport for visitors without a car.
Renting a Car on Arrival
If a car is part of the plan, Chania's airport-adjacent counters are the common pickup point for a western Crete trip. See crete car rental for the rules and the mountain and dirt-road routes worth knowing first.
Tours That Start Near Chania Airport
These listings begin in or near Chania and cover the most common first-day routes from the airport.
from $56.05
Chania/Rethymno: Balos & Gramvousa With Pickup & Boat Ticket
The classic Balos day: coach from the Chania or Rethymno side, the boat from Kissamos to Gramvousa and Balos with the ticket included.
Check Availability
from $30.56
Elafonissi Beach, Free Umbrella, Honey&Wine Tasting
The budget coach day from Chania to Elafonisi with an umbrella included and a stop in the chestnut village of Elos.
Check Availability
from $59.09
Samaria Gorge All-Inclusive (Ferry & Entry Fee)
Samaria Gorge with the park entry fee and the Agia Roumeli ferry already in the price, coach from the Chania area to Omalos and back from Sfakia.
Check Availability
from $43.55
Rethimno, Chania, and Kournas Lake Day Trip
Rethymno, Chania and Lake Kournas in one coach day from the eastern resorts, the long-distance sampler of the west.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Photo: Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Plan the Rest of the Arrival
Three pages that pick up from Chania airport.
Heraklion airport
The other airport, for a trip based toward Knossos and the east instead.
Eastern alternative Check info & availabilityChania old town
The Venetian harbour and lanes most visitors see first.
A short KTEL ride from the airport Check info & availabilityCrete car rental
What to know before picking up a car the moment you land.
Both airports Check info & availabilityChania Airport Questions
Which airport is better, Heraklion or Chania?
Neither is objectively better; pick the one closer to your base. Chania suits the old town, Balos and Elafonisi; Heraklion suits Knossos, the capital and the east. See getting to Crete.
What airlines fly out of Chania, Crete?
Not independently tracked on this page; airline routes change by season. chq-airport.gr, the operator's own site, publishes current flight information directly.
Does Crete have two airports?
Yes. Chania (CHQ) in the west, run by Fraport Greece, and Heraklion (HER) in the centre-east, which is not part of the Fraport concession.
Is Chania airport a busy airport?
It is smaller than Heraklion's but serves the entire western half of Crete, including Chania old town, Balos and Elafonisi, with near-continuous bus service into town suggesting steady, not overwhelming, passenger flow.
How much is the bus from Chania airport to town?
$3.03 (€2.70) one way on KTEL Chania-Rethymno, with about 29 departures a day, near-continuous from 07:30 to 23:00.
What are Chania airport's operating hours?
The terminal operates every day, 00:00-23:59, per the operator's own published hours on chq-airport.gr.
Chania Airport on Video
Chania Airport (CHQ) in Crete (Greece)
A direct look at the terminal and arrivals area.
Video: KRETAerLEBENChania Airport Guide: Transportation, Rentals, Parking and Tips
A practical transport and rental-pickup overview.
Video: TravelTipsGRLanding at Chania Airport & Renting A Car
A real arrival and car pickup sequence.
Video: Driven By The LensWe may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure